Hey everyone!! With the 90th Academy Awards this Sunday, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share my predictions of the main categories of who I believe will win as well as my own personal opinion of who I want to win. Below is a list of the main categories and their nominations and below I have my prediction and my personal opinion who I want to win. Enjoy and I hope I help you win your Oscar party poll!

Orginal Score:

Dunkirk

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missoui

Prediction: “The Shape of Water”

Who I Want to Win: “The Shape of Water”

Visual Effects:

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

Prediction: “War for the Planet of the Apes”

Who I want to Win: “Blade Runner 2049” or “War for the Planet of the Apes”

‘Black Panther’ is finally here. In my lifetime, I have not seen an excitement level for a film this high, that isn’t called ‘Star Wars’. This was one of my most anticipated movies of 2018 for four reasons. The first being, it’s a marvel film. Marvel has been killing it lately, as you probably know. The second being, a man named Ryan Coogler, the director of this film. He has made two films that I feel are INCREDIBLE, those being ‘Fruitvale Station’ and ‘Creed’. I feel he is one of the best young directors working today. The third, being Black Panther’s role and introduction in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ I thought was incredible and it made me want to see his solo film immediately. And the final reason is the cultural significance of this film and the impact that it was hopefully going to have in the world and Hollywood. It’s the first ever African decent superhero with basically an all-black cast as well as a black director, which is a huge step forward Hollywood. So how was the movie? Guys believe the hype. This is by far one of Marvel’s best films, if not the best solo film. One of the things that I admire so much about Marvel and why I think they are able to stay relevant for 10 years now with 18 films under their belt now, is that they are able to make each one of these films feel different from one another. And ‘Black Panther’ is no exception to that. The positive of this film is a LONG list. The first thing I’m gonna mention is the cast. This cast is the most incredible cast Marvel has pulled together for a stand-alone film. Chadwick Bosemen, Michael B. Jordan, Luptia Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, Angel Basset, Andy Serkis, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya and Martin Freeman star in this film. That is a hell of a cast. And let me tell you, they are all fantastic. What puts this over the edge of any other stand-alone Marvel film is the emphasis on character. Each character in this film is fleshed out and interesting. Coogler even fleshes side characters that you would not think would be fleshed out. This makes the film more dense and intriguing and since a lot of this movie hinges on caring about the fictional country of Wakanda, it is imperative that we get to know the inhabitants of Wakanda, so we care. But the character other than T’Challa (Black Panther) that everyone will be talking about is Erik Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan. This is the best villain Marvel has ever written so far. Killmonger is a character in which you know his motives and they make sense. You feel for this character and Michael B. Jordan is a great actor and he gives a great performance as Killmonger. Killmonger’s arc in the film is truly powerful and I can’t wait for y’all to see it. This leads me to the deep and inlining social and political message of this film that is, again, something that Marvel hasn’t done before. The commentary that this film had given me chills and I loved it. The message being one about race and the state that it’s in in the United States. While Coogler doesn’t hit us over the head with this, he does it in a very clever way and it’s a current throughout the film. The action scenes are great, but I would say don’t get your hopes up to much about the action. While there are a few action set pieces in this movie, this movie’s main focus is on character. It’s not so much worried about having exciting action rather it’s more worried about having compelling characters, which is how you’re supposed to make a film. There are two action scenes in particular that are going to go down as iconic for the MCU. The last positive that I wanted to mention is the music in this film. Ludwig Goransson’s score is incredible, along with some of the original songs that KUNG FU KENNY himself (Kendrick Lamar), made for the soundtrack are really fun as well and it adds to the vibe and pace of this film which is very particular and different for the MCU. As for negatives, the only negative that I found in this film is some of the CGI at the end of the film seemed a little off. And that’s seriously it. This film exceeded my expectations and I find it really hard for someone who enjoys these types of films to not like this.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my Top 15 Movies of The Year List! Instead of writing a ridiculously long article listing my favorite films of 2017, I decided to do something new. Below is a video that I made, listing my favorite films of 2017. I hope you enjoy it, and If you don’t like it…..leave a comment and I will never do this again! Thanks for watching and reading my reviews!

It’s HERE! Ever since 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ literal “cliffhanger” of an ending, I salivated at the thought of Episode VIII. Not only was I just exited because it was another Star Wars film, this film is directed by Rian Johnson. Who if you don’t know, is a fantastic filmmaker who is the man behind films like Brick and Looper. So I waited two long years, but I finally got to lay eyes on Star Wars: The Last Jedi last night. And after my first viewing I can safely say that I absolutely LOVE this film. Now, I don’t think this is a perfect film. But, god damn, I had a blast with this film. To get my negatives out of the way, without spoiling the film, the character of Finn and the newcomer Rose have a story line in this film that I thought screeched the film to a halt. It makes the film feel a little long because it drags. I do like the character of Rose, but I think their story line is pretty weak. While enjoyable, I was invested in other stories that made me wish that we were not watching what they were doing. I know that was very vague and I am just making sure I don’t spoil any thing for you guys. Now on to my positives. The performances in this film are the best I’ve ever seen in a Star Wars film. Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, once again is fantastic. Daisy Ridley as Rey, as well such a great actress. But the obvious stand out to me is Mark freakin’ Hamill as Luke Skywalker. He is truly special in this film and that’s all I’ll say. Oscar Issac again is so much fun as Poe. He has a lot more to do in this movie and I was really happy to see that because I really liked him in TheForce Awakens. Carrie Fisher, in her last performance as Leia due to unfortunate passing, is the best she’s ever been in a Star Wars film. Now the action in this film…..oh man. Some of the best action scenes in any Star Wars film. So stuff involving lightsabers made me so happy because there are shots and sequences that I have wanted to see for YEARS. That leads me into the cinematography. This is by far the most beautiful Star Wars film yet. Rian Johnson directed the hell out of this film and there are a couple shots in particular that are so strikingly beautiful that I want to hang on my wall like now. Now lets talk about the meat of the film. Without spoiling ANYTHING (I would never do that), this film takes a lot of risks. It does things with characters that I really wasn’t expecting. Twists and turns that I was constantly surprised. Now some of you, may not be on board with some of the risks they take. For me, and I think for most hardcore Star Wars fans like myself, will be. To me, the risks they take were EXTREMELY satisfying. And there is incredible fan service in this film. But, it’s not cheap fan service. It’s not like in Rogue One, where the fanservice happened and didn’t serve the story. The fanservice in this film serves the story. It’s there for a reason and bravo to Rian Johnson for brilliant writing for this film. The humor in this movie is very strong too. It’s a really funny movie there are a lot of jokes that hit hard for me. And yes the Porgs and crystal foxes are freaking adorable. This is a powerful, satisfying, fun, and emotional rollercoaster of a film. This is a Star Wars film that builds on the previous films so well while having a basis for the future that I can’t wait for and I can’t wait to watch this film about 5 more times in the theater.

‘Justice League’ is a small indie film that stars Ben Affleck, Gal Godet, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, and Jason Momoa and is about Batman aka, Bruce Wayne, Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act from ‘Batman V Superman’, he enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, to face an even greater enemy, by joining forces with Arthur Curry aka Aquaman, Victor Stone aka Cyborg, and Barry Allen aka The Flash. This is obviously one of the biggest films of the year. My relationship with the DC films has been a rocky one. I really liked ‘Man of Steel’, I honestly liked ‘Batman V Superman’, I HATED ‘Suicide Squad’ and I LOVED ‘Wonder Woman.’ So I kind of went into this film with low expectations. I was preparing myself for disappointment because at the writing of this review this film has a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. And I’m here to say that….the critics are being way too harsh with this film. Is this film perfect? No. Not at all. BUT, I’m not going to lie, I had a blast with this film. DC and director Zack Snyder (and Joss Wheadon) take a more light and “fluffy” approach to this film. They are obviously trying to make their new films lighter than their older films. This was apparent with Wonder Woman as well. So the positives that I found in this movie, are quite slim but they are important. This movie works for one reason in my opinion. It’s the Justice Leauge themselves. They are all fantastic. Ben Affleck remains my favorite incarnation of Batman (Ooooo controversial). I love everything about his portrayal of Bruce Wayne and this film continues to confirm that. I loved Gal Godet as Wonder Woman in her solo film, and she is probably the heart and soul of this film. She’s truly exceptional. Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, The Flash, is probably the standout in this film. He’s very funny and he gives a really charismatic performance and he made me want to see his solo film as soon as possible. Jason Momoa is badass as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher is good as Cyborg. But what is truly great about everyone is their chemistry with one another. It is great and my favorite scenes in the film are when they are with one another interacting with one another. I thought the dialogue was witty and since all these guys and gals are giving great performances, it really works. Zack Snyder directs the hell out of the action scenes in this film. They’re great. But I was expecting that. Now I have more negatives. The biggest one being, this film feels RUSHED. This film is 2 hours long. That’s pretty short for a film like this. I felt like I was on a freight train. It goes from scene to scene and there were a ton of scenes that needed to breathe because there are a lot of great scenes in this movie! I just wanted them to be longer. The villian….is terrible. But to me, that’s not that big of a deal. I don’t really care about the villain in these films because I care more about the heroes. But it is a problem because if they had a stronger villain it would make it a stronger film. Back to the pacing, in the beginning of the film it feels like a series of vignettes. It is EXTREMELY choppy. And that’s kind of all I can really talk about without spoiling this film. It is a very choppy film, but very entertaining. There are great moments of greatness that show what the DC universe can do and while I don’t love this movie, I think this is a very good step in the right direction for DC and Warner Bros. And just a last positive when Superman appears in this film….it is AWESOME. My favorite scene in the film by far.

No, but seriously, I was salivating at the thought of a season two of this show. Like most people, I fell in love with ‘Stranger Things’. Mostly because it caught me completely off guard. I knew nothing about this show when season one came out and I got recommended it from just the buzz off the internet. Then I watched it all in like two days and I fell in love with the kids and just the feel of the show. It literally captured some of my favorite stories and films from the 80s all in one show. Spielberg films, Stephen King stories, and coming of age films from the decade are just some of the obvious influences of the show. All the characters I was in love with and I felt like I was playing Dungeons and Dragons with Mike, Dustin, Will, and Lucas. And plus this show was just so damn fun. Now, when I originally heard that there was going to be a season 2, I hesitated. Because I loved season one so much and I really did not want the ‘sequel’ to tarnish the original. SPOILER: It does not. This season is better than season one. ‘Stranger Things 2’ does everything a season two of ‘Stranger Things’ should have done. Dial the 80s nostalgia up to 11, check, introduce more awesome and fascinating characters into the mix, check, more back story for “Eleven”, check, ghostbuster costumes, check, and finally develop the existing characters with an even more emotional weight to them, check. I was blown away of how this surpassed the first season in every way.

This season picks up a year after the events of the first season. And I swear to you it’s like the Duffers didn’t miss a beat. It’s so obvious that they have the style of the show down pact. I obviously don’t want to spoil anything about the show, but in order to talk about season two’s plot, I have to SPOIL something for season one so just a warning here. So as you know they got Will out of the upside down and Eleven is stuck in the upside down in the end of season one. We meet Will and the gang during Halloween, but things are happening to Will….strange things. Like I said the direction in this show is fan-freaking-tastic. The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and now a newcomer to the series Andrew Stanton all do an incredible job. I was SO happy to see Stanton involved with this show. If you don’t know Stanton is a regular at the animation studio Pixar and has directed some of my favorite films of theirs like “Wall-E’ and ‘Finding Nemo’. The performances are just as good here as they are in season one. All the kids are just so great. I want to hang out with them all so bad. But obviously, Millie Bobbie Brown who plays ‘Eleven’ steals the show again. She is truly a special talent. When she matures and becomes an even better actress, she is going to be HUGE. Winona Ryder is back as Joyce and she’s even better in this season. You can tell that she learned a lot from the first season of playing this character and she knocks it out of the park again. David Harbour as Hopper again is another standout. The thing about this show is there is no weak link. Everyone is great. The new characters are great as well. I love Max who is a new girl in town who gets involved with the gang and she is great. But I was so excited that I heard Sean Astin was going to be part of this season. I’m a huge fan and I loved him as Bob in this season. Another major pro of this season is the pace of it. With the exception of one episode, (that I will talk about later), this show didn’t really have a “filler” episode. Each one of the nine episodes propelled the story along with interesting and super fun plot elements. I was so surprised that I liked mostly EVERY turn and risk that the plot took in this season. My favorite episodes by far were MADMAX, The Spy, and The Mind Flayer. As for negatives, I think most people who have seen the season know what I’m going to say. Episode 7: The Lost Sister was a weak point for ‘Stranger Things’. In my opinion, it is the worst episode that ‘Stranger Things’ has done so far. The execution of that episode was very weak. And I wasn’t a huge of the style that the director chose to do in the episode. While I liked the concept of the episode, I just think they failed at executing it to their fullest. But other than that I FREAKING LOVED THIS SEASON! Bring on season three!!!

‘Blade Runner 2049’ is the sequel to the cult classic science fiction film ‘Blade Runner’ from 1982. But more importantly, this film is directed by Denis Villeneuve. He has been behind some of my favorite films of the last 5 years. Those films being Arrival, Enemy, Prisoners, and Sicario. And it stars Ryan Gosling. A tour de force in acting right now and probably the best actor of his generation right now. Also, Harrison Ford. Who doesn’t like Harrison Ford? If you don’t….what? So this film had all the ingredients to be incredible. And I just saw it and OH MY GOODNESS. Denis KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE FREAKING PARK AGAIN!! This film is a film geek’s dream. This film is thought-provoking, absolutely GORGEOUS, and emotional. The performances in this film are incredible. Ryan Gosling as ‘K’ is…..well great. At this point, I don’t expect anything else than greatness from him. Jared Leto as ‘Wallace’, Harrison Ford returning as Deckard, and Ana de Armas as ‘Joi’ are all great as well. But a standout is Sylvia Hoeks as ‘Luv’. I’ve never seen her in anything else but this is a breakout performance for her. She was awesome. While the performances were great, it’s the characters that writer Hampton Fancher and Michael Green create which makes it compelling to watch. I don’t want to go into the plot at all of this film because I think it’s best for you to go in completely blind and experience this eye-gasmic 2 hour and 45 min experience. This is why we go to movies. To see movies like this. To emerge in a new world and to be invested in a great story and get lost in it. This is truly the true embodiment of cinema. With that being said, this is a deliberately paced science fiction film. Do not expect a lot of action scenes or anything like that. This is a film about humanity….and what makes us human. Please go watch this movie. This is going to spark conversation with the party that you see this without a doubt. I would recommend seeing the first Blade Runner from 1982 before seeing his film. This film does stand on its own, but it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the world of Blade Runner and certain characters. This is one of my favorite films of the year and I hope you go see it and enjoy it as much as I did. Lastly, if cinematographer Roger Deakins doesn’t WIN the academy award for cinematography…..the oscars will become dead to me.